Readers of Fred: Wizard in Training will be familiar with the unusual time Fred’s been having recently, what with the whole winning-a-magic-contest incident. Everyone is treating him like a hero, which would be great if he was any good at magic when under pressure. On the plus side, he now has weekly teatimes with Merlin, who is making him realise he isn’t too bad at magic–and life–after all. But just when he’s ready to get to work, a mystery lands in his lap.
The Knights and Bikes series burst into life as a gaming experience inspired by cult classic movies like The Goonies, charting the adventures of new friends Nessa and Demelza as they explore the coasts of Penfurzy in a 1980s Britain that’s strange and familiar all at once. Together with their pet goose and the less than fresh head of a long-dead knight, the girls form the Penfurzy Rebel Bicycle Club, set to solve any mystery that crosses their path.
A welcome return for Seamus the turkey detective, as he is once again tasked with investigating some dodgy dealings. The Free Range Detective Agency (a.k.a. Seamus) is called to the rescue when security breaches threaten the Business Monkey of the Year’s top-secret money-making facilities. But who is behind the breaches – the baboon, the newt, the jackal or the toad?
What, one wonders, is a Half Room? And why is there half a cat on the cover? With its intriguing title and cover image this enigmatic picturebook grabs the reader’s attention from the outset. All of the objects in the book are halved and as we turn the pages the Half Room is gradually constructed before our eyes, along with the story of the girl who occupies this mysterious space; a girl who reads in the light of a half moon and whose other half is not as far away as we might think.
The Cousins is Karen McManus’ second standalone novel. She hit the ground running with her first titles, One of Us is Lying and One of us is Next, and has really made a name for herself within the YA genre. The Story family have secrets, one of them being why their elderly mother disowned and disinherited them all twenty-four years ago. The novel follows the Story grandchildren and why, after all these years, the infamous grandmother, whom they’ve never even met, summons them to come and work at her island resort for the summer.
Alfie, his sister and his mum move to a village where everything seems quiet and boring at first, until the weather starts to behave as though it has a mind of its own: things freeze over in the middle of summer; mini tornadoes appear in glasses of water. Alfie is keen to investigate and is on the lookout for the source of these disturbances – and why wouldn’t he start with the strangest man in the village?
Rachel isn’t like the other students at her New York high school. She didn’t grow up with nannies indulging her whims and she’s more interested in watching vintage horror films than getting into the cool parties. She also survived a violent attack last year that unleashed a side of her that she’s desperate to keep hidden. When Rachel witnesses a classmate being humiliated by apparently supernatural forces, she suspects foul play.
The year is roughly 1994 and a series of gory murders is terrorising New Orleans. What is interesting is that these deaths seem to tend towards a slightly vampiric nature. Will the aptly named Mina, a recent blow-in from England, be able to figure what’s going on and stop the killer before they strike again?
The first day at a new school is stressful for anyone, but for Parker and Sven it’s especially tough. Parker is dealing with the aftermath of a traumatic event and Sven is desperate not to be known as the boy with epilepsy. It also doesn’t help when they become mortal enemies during the first class. When Parker discovers that Alaska, the beloved dog she had to give away, now belongs to Sven, she resolves to get him back.
When our main character, Stick Boy, moves to a new town, he is hoping that his problems will be left behind. He has always felt different but is looking forward to a new start. However, almost immediately he attracts the ire of the school bullies, Sam and Gretchen, and feels extremely alone. Little does he know he is about to meet a whole new group of friends and go on a whirlwind adventure in the process.
